There have been employed for a long time deodorizers and deodorants to reduce the odor of the excreta of living organisms, in particular, domestic and pet animals. However, these methods, which comprise spraying deodorizers or deodorants over the excreta of domestic or pet animals per se or around the same to thereby reduce the odor thereof, can achieve only temporary effects and thus the problem cannot be fundamentally solved thereby.
As more fundamental methods for reducing the odor of the excreta of domestic or pet animals, it is proposed to reduce the odor of the excreta per se. For example, it is known to feed domestic or pet animals with feeds containing compounds or compositions having a good smell (lemon oil, orange oil, lime oil, clove oil, vanillin, etc.), or with feeds containing inorganic matters (zeolite, etc.) or microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria). Although these methods are effective each at a certain extent, they still suffer from some problems to be overcome, for example, insufficient deodorizing effects, difficulties in preparation and economical disadvantage.
With the recent tendency toward the aging society throughout the world, in particular, in so-called developed countries, the ratio of the aged to the whole population has been increasing. As a result, there have been also increasing sickly old people and bedridden ones who should be taken care in bodily needs by care workers. Under these circumstances, it would be a great joy for all of the persons concerned to establish a method for reducing or eliminating the odor of human excreta.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a more effective deodorizing method which can be relatively easily performed and meets the economical requirements. Another object of the present invention is to provide a compounding ingredient usable in carrying out the above method. Another object of the present invention is to provide feeds, pet foods or foods containing the above-described compounding ingredient.
The present inventors have paid their attention to the fact that various phenolic compounds have deodorizing effects and conducted extensive studies on these compounds, thus completing the present invention.